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MuseumsLocal GemRainy-day pick

Kemper Museum of Contemporary Art

4420 Warwick Blvd, Kansas City, MO 64111 · Kansas City, MO

Why you should go…

A giant bronze Louise Bourgeois spider guards the entrance to this sleek Gunnar Birkerts-designed museum, and admission is always free, special exhibitions included. Inside, a skylit atrium anchors rotating shows of modern and contemporary work alongside a permanent collection with pieces by Georgia O'Keeffe, Jasper Johns, and Willem de Kooning. It's compact enough to see in an hour, sits steps from the Kansas City Art Institute, and Café Sebastienne turns the visit into a proper lunch date.

  • #contemporary art
  • #free museum
  • #art
  • #sculpture
  • #cafe

Good to know

General museums guidance

Habits that pay off across this whole category, not rules for this one venue. Always check the official site for the specifics.

  • Check the special exhibition separately

    Touring shows usually carry their own ticket and their own opening hours, listed apart from general admission.

  • Look for the free window

    Many museums run community days, member evenings, or discounted late openings. It is worth a look before you pay full price.

  • Travel light through the door

    Large bags and backpacks often have to go to a coat check, and lines for it move slowly at opening.

  • Weekday mornings beat weekend afternoons

    School groups clear out by early afternoon midweek, while weekends stay busy from late morning on.

What's around here?

The closest stops to Kemper Museum of Contemporary Art, ordered by straight-line distance. A few more like it, plus some different kinds of fun so you can build a full day.

  • Museums
    Iconic

    Nelson-Atkins Museum of Art

    Free

    A world-class art museum with free admission and the famous giant shuttlecocks on its lawn.

    0.3 mi awayMore like this

  • Shopping
    Iconic

    Country Club Plaza

    Free

    Fifteen blocks of Seville-inspired towers, fountains, and mosaics, America's first suburban shopping district, glowing since 1923.

    0.5 mi awaySwitch it up: Shopping

  • Museums
    Quirky Fun

    National Museum of Toys and Miniatures

    Under $25

    The world's largest collection of fine-scale miniatures and antique toys, pure wonder at any age.

    0.9 mi awayMore like this

  • Sightseeing
    Family Favorite

    Kansas City, Kansas

    Free

    Kansas's third-largest city, home to Kansas Speedway, the Legends shopping district, and Sporting KC's stadium.

    0.9 mi awaySwitch it up: Sightseeing

  • Sport & Outdoor
    Local Gem

    Loose Park

    Free

    A 75-acre urban oasis with a rose garden of thousands of blooms and Civil War history underfoot.

    0.9 mi awaySwitch it up: Sport & Outdoor

  • Museums
    Family Favorite

    The Money Museum at the Federal Reserve Bank of Kansas City

    Free

    A free downtown Kansas City museum where visitors can see a working cash vault and lift a real gold bar.

    2.0 mi awayMore like this